YORK, PA – The York College Spartan
baseball team made their 2009 home debut a successful one as they
defeated Messiah College 5-2 in a non-conference contest at a windy
Jaquet Field on Monday. The Spartans, who have won ten straight,
improve to 10-2 overall. The Falcons fall to 4-5 for the campaign.
The game was a pitcher's dual early as Spartan starter
Jason Christenberry (Yoe, Pa./Dallastown) and Falcon starter Eric
Spring were locked in a scoreless tie until the Falcons strung
three hits together with two outs to take the 1-0 lead.
York tied the game in the fourth as Kyle Cook
(Pylesville, Md./Herford) singled to lead off the inning.
Cook stole second and then scored on a Mike Connolly
(Selden, N.Y./Newfield) single to left. The Spartans would
be unable to plate another run as Spring stiffened, striking out
two and getting a pop up to extricate himself from a jam.
Sophomore Joe Doyle (Stewartstown, Pa./Red
Lion) opened the fifth inning with a ringing double to
left center. Freshman catcher Rob Andrews (East Northport,
N.Y./Commack) stroked a single to center and advanced to
second on the throw home as Doyle moved over to third. Doyle scored
when Rob Klinck (Stanhope, N.J./Lenape Valley
Regional) notched a sacrifice fly to left, giving York the
2-1 lead.
York added to the lead when junior Matt Monti (Easton,
Pa./Easton) launched a bomb into right centerfield for his
first home run as a Spartan.
The Falcons got an unearned run off reliever Cook as the
sophomore tossed the final two innings for his second save.
The Green and White got two key insurance runs in the bottom of
the eighth as Ryan Poff (York, Pa./Spring Grove)
got a fly ball up into the jet stream to right center and the ball
flew over the wall for a two-run homer, extending the York lead to
5-2. The homer was Poff's second of the year.
Christenberry was outstanding as the junior allowed just one run
on eight hits in seven innings as he improved to 3-0. Christenberry
struck out six and walked just one. Cook struck out three and
allowed one unearned run on one hit in his two innings of work.
Spring suffered the loss as he allowed three runs on six hits in
seven innings. He struck out five as he falls to 1-1 with the
loss. Elliot Thomas tossed one inning and surrendered Poff's
two-run jack.
Connolly and Poff each had a pair of hits to lead the Green and
White. Poff drove in two and scored another while Connolly added an
RBI for the Spartans. Monti went 1-for-3 with an RBI and a run
scored.
Adam Ranck paced Messiah as he was 3-for-5 with a run scored.
Sheldon Witmer was the other Falcon with multiple hits as he was
2-for-5.
The Spartans return to action on Wednesday afternoon when they
host Salisbury University in a key conference contest. Game time at
Jaquet Field is set for 3:30 pm.
GAME BOX
Photo: Joe Doyle slided into home safely on Rob Klinck's
sacrifice fly.
